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Kaylyn Webster
Pan , 2019 Oil on canvas
36 x 60 in
91.4 x 152.4 cm -
dis/contented realities presents a bold range of works from five different artists from Nigeria, Cameroon, and the United States: Sophia Azoige, Samuel Dallé, Árá Deinde, Amarachi Odimba, and Kaylyn Webster. Though the paintings are unified by their figurative imagery, each of the artists approaches their subject from a fresh perspective according to their own individual aesthetic, representing a spectrum of styles ranging from the abstract to the naturalistic. Through layers of oil and acrylic--and in some cases, unexpected additional media like textiles--the paintings of dis/contented realities are informed by the rich, personal histories and experiences of the artists they represent.
Confronting issues of race and identity, immigration and diaspora, beauty and friendship, the artists of dis/contented realities grapple with concerns of our present. While some of the presentations advocate for a restructuring of reality, others stimulate their audience to confront the political and social landscape. dis/contented realities places these paintings in conversation with one another, allowing the viewer to appreciate and explore the connections and the conflicts of the artists’ respective viewpoints.
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Kaylyn Webster
Moses, 2019Painting with both oil and acrylic, Kaylyn Webster’s work is informed by her experiences as a Black American woman. Her work is inspired by contemporary dialogues from news coverage, protests, and musical lyrics, as well as historical references. Webster seeks to address systemic and institutional racism through her expressive portraiture of strong Black individuals. Painting is her preferred method of advocating for change and refuting harmful racial stereotypes. In painting portraits of strong, dynamic Black people in the tradition of Western history painting, she imbues her subjects with a quiet confidence and highlights their value and humanity.
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Sophia Azoige
Sophia Azoige creates singular combinations of acrylic and textile on canvas. Azoige is driven by the desire to impart the beauty of everyday human experiences through her work, drawing inspiration from the broad spectrum of individuals she encounters. Azoige’s strong friendships and her spirituality are the driving force behind her paintings. While her figures are intentionally loosely detailed, Azoige’s inventive incorporation of textiles enhance her subjects and infuse them with emotion.
Azoige is based in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, where she is currently pursuing an art degree at Ignatius Ajuru University of Education. Her work has been exhibited in Port Harcourt and Lagos.
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Using a combination of acrylics and oils, in his recent series, Conversations with Self, Árá Deinde composes stratified paintings. As he builds layer upon layer of paint, he considers the process of his paintings to be moving from incoherence to coherence, which also serves as a metaphor for the introspective themes he explores in his work. Set against dynamic, patterned backgrounds, Deinde’s subjects are anonymous black silhouettes. Their lack of facial features or overtly personal characteristics lend the figures a universal quality, allowing Deinde to extrapolate the individual subconscious and apply it more broadly to the cultural consciousness of the people of the African diaspora.
Deinde was born in Lagos and currently lives and works in Abeokuta, Nigeria. He recently completed an artist residency for KUTA Nigeria in Abeokuta and his work has been exhibited nationally in Nigeria.
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Amarachi Odimba, The Good Times, 2021
Amarachi Odimba
The Good Times, 2021Amarachi Odimba’s work explores the contemporary complexities of identity, sexuality, education, and migration. Most of Odimba’s expressive paintings are both figurative and abstract, incorporating her signature use of bright, bold color and expressive drips of paint. She positions her human subjects in relation to the different types of environments they inhabit, from the political to the social to the geographic.
Odimba is a self-taught artist from Aba, Abia State, Nigeria. In addition to painting, she creates drawings and public art installations.
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